Photo courtesy of the City of Warren Hemlock woolly adelgid, seen here, has been located on the hemlock tree at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Market Street.

Hemlock woolly adelgid has been found in the City of Warren.

The hemlock woolly adelgid is a tiny, non-native invasive insect that is attacking and killing hemlock trees across Pennsylvania and many eastern states. It was introduced to the United States from Asia.

City Arborist Joe Reinke told members of the Street Landscape Committee on Tuesday that he found the pest in the city limits for the first time on a hemlock tree in the park at the corner of Market Street and Fourth Avenue.

“There is treatment for hemlock woolly adelgid,” said Cecile Stelter, district forester with the state Bureau of Forestry.

She explained treatments have been implemented at Cook Forest to help protect some of the old growth hemlocks there.

“What we’re going to do, because it’s just one tree right now, we’re going to treat it for the city,” Stelter said.

The treatment will take place this fall.

Stelter said the treatment would make the tree more resistant to the bug.

“Nothing can guarantee it will protect it,” she said. “Treating it is better than not.”

The prognosis for the tree depends on “other stressors that are on the tree,” she added.

Stelter said the invasive species has not been found on other state forest property in this area.

“The logical place we would find it, or we’re looking for it, is the Anders Run Natural Area,” she said. “We have not found it there. (We) have found it along the river.”